Bears hope two Mannings will be better than one

MIAMI -- Peyton is the main Manning in the Super Bowl. Everyone knows that -- even Chicago's two Mannings.

The Bears have Ricky Jr. and Danieal, who will be manning the secondary Sunday and trying to disrupt the Colts' star quarterback.

Ricky Manning Jr., whose first season with the Bears has been as eventful as it has been productive, has fielded questions for three days on what it's like to be one of the other Mannings.

"It was funny at first," Manning Jr. said. "You kind of get used to it being redundant."

Danieal Manning, a rookie, has found the topic plenty familiar, too. He's never met Peyton.

"But I have spoken with his brother Eli and joked a little bit with him about it," Danieal said.

For the Bears to win Sunday, they'll have to defend Peyton's passes to Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark.

That's where Ricky Jr., Chicago's nickel back, and Danieal, a starting safety -- they are not related -- will be busy.

Ricky Jr. has a head start. He's already been in a Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers and has a knack for playing well when the game is a big deal. As a rookie, he made three interceptions in the NFC championship game victory over the Eagles following the 2003 season.

This season, he tied for the team lead with five interceptions and also picked off Matt Hasselbeck in a playoff victory against Seattle.

All that after a rocky start with his new team.

He pleaded no contest in September to a felony assault charge stemming from an altercation at a Los Angeles restaurant last spring in which a man was punched and kicked.

The incident occurred less than two days after Manning signed a five-year, $21 million offer sheet with Chicago, one the Panthers didn't match. By pleading no contest, he got three years probation and was ordered to attend a year of anger management counseling. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. Later, the NFL suspended him for one game.

Ricky Jr. has learned that having three Mannings in one game is not the only repeat topic this week.

He's been asked time after time about the experience of his first Super Bowl, when the Panthers lost to the Patriots 32-29. He knows he's lucky to get another shot with all that's happened. Current Bears teammates Dante Wesley, another defensive back, and wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad were in that same Super Bowl for the Panthers.

"I just remember it being not even real until the second and third quarter, like you are just floating during the whole beginning of the game," Manning Jr. said. "It's more like a fantasy than a dream."

His advice to Daniel as a rookie in the NFL's biggest game?

"You can't have this game back. You don't want to be thinking, 'I should have done this better, I should have done that better.' Just go out and do it."

Danieal knows he'll have butterflies, but doesn't expect to be overly jittery. That's the way he's played this season since being moved into the starting lineup early on.

"I'm not nervous. I've been around for a while, not this big of a stage, but around enough football to not get nervous," he said.

Ricky Jr., at 5-foot-9, has an ability to disguise what coverage he's in. That, he says, is why he's often able to make interceptions. The Bears led the NFL with 44 takeaways this season.

Starting cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher will have primary responsibility for Wayne and Harrison, but the Mannings could get their cracks, too.

"Receivers don't like to be touched, don't like to be messed with, and when you do that, you throw their timing off," Ricky Jr. said. "That's how I look at things. Anytime I get in position, I try to get physical with the receivers."

Wayne wants to make sure he secures the ball when he does catch it Sunday.

"I mean they have a good group of guys who understand their roles. Their whole 'D' is the king of turnovers," Wayne said. "We have to bring our 'A' game or we'll get embarrassed."

That's not likely to happen. But the Bears' Mannings want to let the Colts' Manning know who they are.

"The key Manning?" Ricky said. "I don't know. I think all of us will be keys."

And Danieal, who was the Bears' second round and highest pick last April, is eager to finally meet Peyton. Sort of.

"Oh yeah, really up close and personal," he said. "I want to be all over him, but I just want to enjoy the game."